Chapter Seven
Kit
I’d love to say this is the first time the doors have been frozen shut, but it’s surely not. In fact, this happens so often that I should probably buy my own heater or blow torch thingy.
Thankfully, my dad is close by.
Unthankfully, it’s not my dad that’s pulling in.
Thankfully or unthankfully, it’s Duke. I’m not sure yet.
All I know is I wasn’t ready to see him again so soon.
He pulls into the parking lot, parks behind a bus, and climbs down out of his truck, stretching his enormous body like some kind of hero before reaching into his big tool box in the bed of the truck.
“Dear Lord, who is that?” The sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Emily, has a lot to say this morning.
She’s commented on nearly everything. The strange bird on the roof with the red and black wing, Tommy Yarrow with the jacket two sizes too small, the amount of exhaust blowing from the back of the buses, and now, Duke.
I’m not sure why it bothers me so much that she’s noticing him.
He doesn’t belong to me and I’m well aware of how attractive he is.
Maybe it’s that she’s more age appropriate for him.
Maybe it’s because she’s a tall, gorgeous blonde with perfectly blue eyes and a heart of gold.
Maybe it’s because she’s not my father’s daughter and she could have him if she wanted him.
Any of those reasons are probably fair game.
“That’s Duke,” I say, faking a cough for some reason. “He’s my dad’s best friend. They work together. I’m guessing he sent him because he was the closest.”
“Well,” the blonde straightens as he approaches, “hello Daddy’s best friend.”
My chest tightens. Okay, I’m going to dropkick Ms. Emily now.
“Hey.” Duke approaches slowly with the heat gun in hand, his gaze heavy on me as though we both know the weight of this meeting. As though we both remember everything that happened last night, everything we’re apparently not allowed to talk about.
“Hi,” I manage through a cracked voice. “You’re here.”
“I’m here. Your dad called.”
“Hi,” the annoying teacher says, reaching out her petite little hand like some kind of sexual offering, “I’m Emily.”
Duke nods and doesn’t shake her hand… which I love. “Nice to meet you, Emily. I’m, ugh, I’ve got a load of things to do here. You want to step back so I can do them.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure” She steps back, and for some reason, I feel a little bad for her. Then again, I was ready to dropkick her a second ago, so she better watch herself.
The kids scream from the bus windows as Duke plugs the heater in and blows it on the frozen lock and hinges.
Ms. Emily and I stare. I don’t know what she’s looking at but I assume it’s the way his muscles flex in his neck as he works. Lord knows it’s caught my attention.
I’m back to wanting to dropkick her again.
“Okay,” he sighs, blowing out a puff of fog as he talks, “try it now.”
I slide the key in, and sure enough, it turns like butter.
“Thank you,” I say turning back toward him as Ms. Emily retrieves the kids from the bus. “I… appreciate you coming out here. Who knows how long we’d be waiting otherwise? I need to buy one of these for myself.”
“They make smaller ones for this purpose. I’ll see if I can find one at the hardware store today and drop it off with your dad for you.”
“No, that’s okay. I can check on my own. I just—”
A biting wind blows between us.
“I’ve gotta make a stop anyway. It’s not a big deal.” He nods and turns back toward his truck, and for some reason, I follow behind like some sad little puppy who’s desperate not to be left behind.
“Hey, umm,” my stomach twists as the words I know I shouldn’t say come spilling out again, “I don’t want this.”
“Good.” He nods once. “You shouldn’t want this.”
“I don’t.” I swallow hard and close the space between us. “I need this.”
A long second passes, and then without another thought, his hands are in my hair, his fingertips against my cheek, his lips against mine with a growl.
I’m not sure how long it goes on, but I know I forget where I am. I know I forget that it’s well below freezing. I know I forget the school is monitored, and that there are a line of kids who live for pointing out things everywhere.
“Oh… Ms. Katherine is kissing.”
I smile and turn back toward the row of kids, but I’m standing face to face with Ms. Emily, whose painted red lips are hanging open.
She whispers something to the principal, and I already know they know what they know. How could they not know? This is a town with around a thousand people. That and I already told her that Duke was my dad’s best friend, not to mention he’s clearly a lot older than me.
None of this scene is going to go over well.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. Shit. I shouldn’t have said fuck,” Duke whispers low, his hand on my back. “I think we’re in this now, Kitten.”
Principal Hayes, the guy whose cabin Duke renovated with my dad a couple of years ago, stalks toward us, and I know I’m about to get an earful. He’s a nice guy, but he’s also extremely old-fashioned. Old-fashioned and very proper.
“Ms. Katherine, you’re putting on quite the show this morning, aren’t you?”
“Sorry. I was just thanking Duke here for bringing the heat.”
“He sure has brought some heat,” Principal Hayes scoffs. “I didn’t realize you two were dating.”
I glance back at Duke and then back toward the principal as I gather what to say or how to say it, but Duke steps in before I get a chance.
“Is that something that needs to be disclosed?”
Principal Hayes steps back and tightens his heavy down jacket tighter as though he’s not used to being questioned. “No, I suppose not. It’s just that I didn’t realize Wade was so relaxed about his daughter dating his business partner. You’re quite a bit older than Ms. Katherine.”
“That’s none of your business is it, Hayes?” Duke’s tone says he’s ready for a fight.
Not good!
The principal continues. “I have a feeling Wade doesn’t know about this, does he?”
Okay, now I’m angry. “I’m sorry, Principal Hayes. Does any of this affect my job?”
“Well, I like to know that the people I’m employing make good decisions, so yes, it might.”
“But legally, it can’t,” I add.
“We’ll talk soon, Ms. Katherine.” He nods toward Duke and I before turning away.
“What the fuck is up with that dude?” Duke groans. “Fuck.”
“It’s my fault. I kissed you.”
“No, it’s not your fault. I kissed you back. I want to kiss you again right now.”
My chest swells and I lean into his arms like nothing else matters because right now it doesn’t. Principal Hayes can fire me, call my dad, tattle, heck, the whole town can turn against me. None of that matters because I have everything I want and no one is ever going to take it away.
“I’ll talk to your dad before anyone else gets to him.”
“Let’s do it together tonight. I don’t want you to handle this alone. He needs to see how much I love you.”
A long pause stands between us, and the wind picks up, twisting snow in every direction before Duke lands his big, calloused hand on my cheek. “I love you more, Kitten. If you want to tell him together tonight, that’s okay with me.”
My stomach twists in knots as he says the words I’ve been desperate to hear for years. “Okay. Yeah, we’ll tell him tonight.”
“Ms. Katherine,” Emily shouts from the door she’s holding open. “Your classroom needs you.”
“You better go, Ms. Katherine.” Duke lands another kiss on my head, then walks me to the door before planting another one on my lips, this one right in front of Ms. Emily.
I have to say, it does something a little extra for me.